Broadband/Electric Synergies Boost Safety, Reliability, Culture

According to co-op leaders, synergies between electric service and fiber broadband at cooperatives are improving safety, reliability, and even workplace culture. “Electric co-ops deploying fiber broadband for future-proof high-speed internet and grid communications are reporting wide-ranging benefits that are serving their members’ needs now and into the future,” said National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Broadband Director Cliff Johnson. At Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, safety improvements were a primary goal when it launched a broadband project in 2018, said CEO Patrick Grace. The supervisory control and data acquisition system that the fiber network enabled provides real-time grid monitoring and communications and helps reduce risks for line crews. "Folding in safety with broadband was first and foremost,” Grace said. “The combination of broadband and electricity impacts safety and has made us better on both.”